Atkins diet and breastfeeding

[jessc79]

I have been doing the Atkins diet for 3 days now. Mostly meats, cheeses, and green veggies. I can have 20 grams of carbs per day. But I usually have more if I feel weak or tired I will eat some veggies like celery or green beans that have carbs. Am I doing something dangerous for my baby???

[stillplayswbarbies]

Dr Hale seems to think it is okay:

http://neonatal.ama.ttuhsc.edu/discu...tml?1052170264

[Aster]

The atkins site says

Weight loss is not recommended while you are pregnant or breastfeeding, so the Atkins Lifetime Maintenance phase is ideal during this time. As with all phases of Atkins, build your eating program around protein, including meat, poultry and seafood, and healthy natural fats such as olive and flaxseed oil and avocados. Eat plenty of vegetables and one serving of fruit such as strawberries, blueberries or grapefruit daily. Instead of hydrogenated oils, consume healthy fats, seeds and nuts. Cook meat well but don't burn it—heavily charred meats can be unhealthy. Be sure to drink plenty of water. Try to walk 30 minutes a day at a comfortable pace. Avoid getting overheated during exercise and be sure to get plenty of rest. And have fun, this is a very special time!

http://atkins.com/helpatkins/newfaq/...oachWhile.html

[wombat]

I think it's dangerous while BF. The purpose of the Atkins Diet is to make your body burn fat. During your lifetime, your body has stored all those environmental toxins in your fat (ie mercury, perchlorate, PCBs...), when you burn this fat, you're releasing all these toxins.

My understanding is the reason BF mothers have lower risk of cancer and stuff is because they DUMP their own toxins during BF. Your milk has fat in it and it's a great way for your body to get rid of fat soluble toxins.

Any diet that causes rapid fat loss is bad while BF.

A sensible diet with reasonable weight loss is much safer for you and baby.

I read Dr. Hales response and he's ONLY talking about ketones, not this issue of releasing environmental toxins in the BM.

[AnnMarie]

Re: Atkins diet and breastfeeding

Originally posted by jessc79
I have been doing the Atkins diet for 3 days now. Mostly meats, cheeses, and green veggies. I can have 20 grams of carbs per day. But I usually have more if I feel weak or tired I will eat some veggies like celery or green beans that have carbs. Am I doing something dangerous for my baby???

You are doing something dangerous for YOU.

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/news/J...tkinsDiet.html

[mama_kass]

Atkins is the biggest diet around and I can't wait for this fad to be over. I think it is dangerous. You are basically forcing your body to go into its reserves to keep you alive. Any diet that does not engage the food pyramid is not a good idea. My understanding is that the atkins diet does not follow the food pyramid. It is a drastic measure to take to lose weight.

Instead of Atkins just eat a balanced diet, exercise, and stay away from unhealthy foods. You will probably find that you lose weight easily. Keep your weight lose at 2-4 pounds a month. It dosen't sound like a lot but it will add up and make a big difference before you know it.

Worse than being overweight is going up and down in weight. This is so stressful to your body! That is why a good lifestyle change is necessary.

My experience: I have not dieted. I eat a well balanced diet and excersize 3-5 days a week. I actually eat something every two hours. I drink a lot of water because my body really craves it. I eat a treat once or twice a month. At my 6 week post partum check up I had lost 30 pounds which is normal. By my son's first birthday I have lost more than an additional 40, for a total of more than 70 pounds. My result= size 6 or 8. WOW!!

[stillplayswbarbies]

[i]Originally posted by wombat

I read Dr. Hales response and he's ONLY talking about ketones, not this issue of releasing environmental toxins in the BM. [/B]

There is another thread that addresses the toxin issue. Here is what I found when I researched this:

The latest research seems to indicate that toxins from the burned fat are not released into the milk:

[http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleade...Nov97p115.html

edited to fix the link.

[Aster]

Here's an article from the LLL about low-carb eating. http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/lowcarb.html The LLL doesnt have an anti-low-carb stance, they just recommend adjusting carb intake so that you dont lose too much too fast.

Here's an interesting article from Scientific American about the current 'food pyramid' that pretty much debunks most of the myths around what is currently considered to be a 'healthy diet'.http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?art...33809EC588EEDF

I'd also like to recommend The Schwarzbein Principle. It's a whole foods/organic foods low carb approach. I really like it anyways, and feel sooo much healthier eating this way. http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASI...022191-3577130

There's also a weight loss support group that you might like to participate in. http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...574#post873574

[Aster]

stillplayswbarbies/Karen ~ I couldnt get your link to work. I'd really like to read the info about toxins not passing into breastmilk.

[wombat]

Unfortunately, toxins are released into BM otherwise scientists wouldn't be finding them in the BM.

stillplayswbarbies, I don't know of or have time to find any scientic articles about the process of HOW they get into the BM. But many toxins are stored in our fat and are found in the BM. Everything I've ever read says rapid weight loss during pregnancy and BF is bad, presumably because during the weight loss, you're mobilising these fat reserves with associated bad effects.

The Environmental Working Group has more info and their recommendations found here
http://www.toxics.org/reports/mothersmilk/part5.php

state:

# Eat fewer meat and high fat dairy products, which contain higher levels of some pollutants.

I think it would be impossible to follow the Atkins Diet without eating mostly meat and high fat dairy products.

The Atkins Diet is really bad while BF due to
1. your mostly eating the bad foods and increasing your levels of toxins
and
2. your mobilising your fat reserves containing the stored toxins
and
3. your eating hardly any fruits and vegetables which have protective effects.

[stillplayswbarbies]

The original question was about the toxins leaving the fat as you lose weight and getting into the breastmilk. The article you quoted was about fire retardants getting into the breastmilk from the food that you consume. That is not the same thing.

To answer your last part . . . there are fruits and vegetable on Atkins. Anyone who is eating mostly high fat meats and dairy is not doing Atkins correctly. Unfortunately what happens to some people is that they think that if low carb is good, no carb must be better and they are not following the diet according to Dr. Atkins.

[wombat]

The article you quoted was about fire retardants getting into the breastmilk from the food that you consume.

The article is an example of the problem of LIFELONG accumulation of environmental toxins (in this case fire retardants) in our bodies. In all likelihood all of us have them in our bodies too, unless we've been living in a bubble. These chemicals are in our computers, our carpet, our water, as well as the the food chain... they're unavoidable.

The point is while pregnant and nursing, not to RELEASE them by losing weight.

Re veges on the Atkins diet - my dh was just on this diet and 20g carbs doesn't go far, e.g. :

1/2 cup broccolli = 4g
1/2 cup asparagus = 4g
1/2 cup green peppers = 3.2g
1/2 cup squash = 3.1g
1 carrot = 7.3g
= 21.6 grams

Forget about milk, grains and fruit, 1/2 grapefruit at 10g carbs uses up half your carb allowance. 2 cups of veges aren't gonna fill you up, so then you have to fill up on protein and fat foods.

The protective effects of fruits and veges is dose related - the more you eat, the more benefits. That's why vegetarians have lower rates of cancer and heart disease.

[wombat]

stillplayswbarbies, oops just noticed your link is working.

LLL is confusing, the LLL link you quoted:
http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleade...Nov97p115.html

says

Losing weight rapidly can release these contaminants into the mother's bloodstream quickly and it was once thought that this would increase contaminant levels in her milk. Research brought to our attention after the BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK was published does not demonstrate a significant increase.

while this LLL link
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/lowcarb.html

says

Gradual weight loss has not been found to affect either the mother’s milk supply or the baby’s health. However, there are documented concerns when a breastfeeding mother loses weight rapidly, defined as more than a pound (.45 kg) per week. Toxins, such as environmental contaminants PCBs and pesticides, are stored in body fat. When a breastfeeding mother loses weight rapidly, these toxins may be released into her bloodstream, and the toxin levels in her milk may increase. Rapid weight loss has also been linked to a decrease in milk supply.

Any LLL people out there to clarify this???

[ctdoula]

Originally posted by wombat


1/2 cup broccolli = 4g
1/2 cup asparagus = 4g
1/2 cup green peppers = 3.2g
1/2 cup squash = 3.1g
1 carrot = 7.3g
= 21.6 grams

Forget about milk, grains and fruit, 1/2 grapefruit at 10g carbs uses up half your carb allowance. 2 cups of veges aren't gonna fill you up, so then you have to fill up on protein and fat foods.

20g of carbs is only for the first 2 weeks (induction), after that, you go up by 5g/week until you figure out how many you can eat & still loose slowly.

I think the reason for not dieting in general during bfing is more because of the possible decrease in milk supply, is it not? I think Dr. Atkins has really good reasearch/ideas in his book, and his plan is based on the way humans as a species have been eating for millions of years (high protien, vegis, no processed food, sugar, etc). If you think about human babies being raised by cave women on mostly antelope meat, etc., I would guess this type of diet would not be detrimental (sorry for cruddy spelling, LOL).

Just my 2cents
Amy

[Elphaba]

the atkins diet is strikingly similar to anti-candida diets which tons of nursing mothers HAVE to go on to purge themselves of yeast. and moms of babies with allergies are often similarly limited in their diets to meats and veggies, since dairy, soy and wheat are common allergens.
so just because someone calls it atkins doesn't make it worse than someone doing the same diet but calling it anti-candida.
IMHO, if you are getting enough to eat, so that you aren't feeling hungry, and you are drinking tons of water, your supply should be fine. as for the toxin issue, i don't know. people nurse while taking SSRIs and other meds, so who knows what they actually get exposed to.

[stillplayswbarbies]

20g of carbs used to be for the induction level, in the old versions of the book. The new version does not count carbs for induction. It sounds like your husband was using an older version, he should look at the newest book, it's much easier to do without all the counting!

But anyway, induction is just for the first week, and the induction level is not suggested for breastfeeding women, so that would not be an issue.

[wombat]

The new version does not count carbs for induction. It sounds like your husband was using an older version,

The original poster is only allowing herself 20g so she must be following the induction phase. At least 3 other people I know are following this misinformation also.

Who wrote the new version? Didn't Dr. Atkins die recently? What was the rationale of the change from the 20g carbs?

[wombat]

the atkins diet is strikingly similar to anti-candida diets which tons of nursing mothers HAVE to go on to purge themselves of yeast.

Elphaba, the Atkins Diet is much more extreme than the anti-candida diets I've heard about. I did follow William Crooks, The Yeast Connection anti candida diet years ago and that avoided only REFINED AND SIMPLE CARBS, it said nothing about avoiding vegetables, just to eat the high starch veges and beans and legumes in moderation. Also avoid fruits for 1st 3 weeks but that's compensated for by eating lots more veges. Now that is a sensible diet IMO.

as for the toxin issue, i don't know. people nurse while taking SSRIs and other meds, so who knows what they actually get exposed to.

I don't think we can compare SSRIs and environmental toxins like mercury, PCBs etc. I hope the SSRIs aren't as toxic as those because I had to take them when I had depression! Unless you're morbidly obese, you can choose to wait until you're finished nursing to lose weight or you can lose weight gradually instead of rapidly.

I'm surprised so many people here believe Atkins Diet is ok for nursing moms. As Aster pointed out, even the Atkins site doesn't endorse the diet for them.

[Quirky]

I don't think it's healthy for baby, because of the high levels of contaminants in meats and dairy products (in addition to the issue of contaminants mobilized from your fat stores). Unless you're eating organic meats and dairy, you're getting pesticide, herbicide, antibiotic, and hormone residues from the chemicals used on the animals' feed as well as on the animals directly. *Even if* you're eating organic, you're still getting the environmental contaminants from polluted groundwater, etc. that bioaccumulate in fat (and you eat the animals' fat so they bioaccumulate in you).

Besides which, I think the scientific evidence is much more in favor of a Mediterranean style diet than Atkins. I agree that cutting out processed foods, refined flour, and white sugar is all to the good. But anything that limits fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and beans, and emphasizes foods with saturated fats, is bunkum IMNSHO.

I also agree that exercise is key. In Dr. Walter Willett's book Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, he rewrites the food pyramid (the USDA pyramid is bunkum too) and puts daily exercise at the bottom, as the foundation. I've lost a little over 50 pounds since ds was born, and I think that more than anything else exercise has done the trick for me.

[Raven67]

I don't think Atkins is healthy because of the emphasis on meat in the diet. High protein diets stress the kidneys, increasing the risk of kidney stones. High animal protein diets are linked to heart disease and cancer. Atkins dieters also report lots of constipation, bad breath and body odor. Sounds very healthy, not! The diet, especially induction, is basically causing you to go into a state of "ketosis." Ketosis is the release of fat stores for brain energy, which only happens in the extreme absence of your brains preferred energy source, carbohydrates. Ketosis is an unatural state to be in, it would make me nervous while breastfeeding. 20 grams of carbs is an extemely low amount of your body's preferred energy source to be consuming when pregnant. Many years ago, before I knew much about nutrition, I did Atkins. Two days in ketosis left me weak, dizzy, and unable to sleep. Maybe that's just me. Anyway, why not go on the "maintenance phase" of the diet, instead of the more extreme induction? I think maintenance still works to lose weight but is not so hard on your body. Also, check out the "Sugar Busters" diet which is based on similar principles, but less extreme. I agree with the others who said that a nursing mother who avoids sweets and junk food, exercises daily, is likely to lose weight without dieting. Good luck.